Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Concealed Handguns in College Campuses - 777 Words

Concealed Handgun Should college students be allowed to carry a concealed licensed handgun? Should students be permitted individual security on college campus? In 1791, our founding fathers established in the U.S Constitution the right that everybody has â€Å"the right to bear arms†. The right to bear arms in the Second Amendment gives individuals the right to own guns and indicates that the government cannot restrict this right. Colleges do not allow individuals to carry these weapons on campus because most think it is too dangerous and can cause individuals to be in danger including the law enforcement, staff and other college students. Despite this right, weapons on college campuses lead to dangerous situations, violence, and even death. Point #1: More guns will lead to increased violence: Public and private colleges should prevent their students from carrying concealed handguns into campus because violence has increased more than ever in U.S history. According to an article on a student who carried a concealed handgun on campus, authors Ian Shapira and Tom Jackman spoke to increased violence which can be seen in the Virginia Tech Shooting where â€Å"Thirty-three people were killed Monday, April 17, 2007 on the campus of Virginia Tech in what appears to be the deadliest shooting rampage in American history, according to federal law enforcement officials. Many of the victims were students shot in a dorm and a classroom building.† When students have access to weapons,Show MoreRelatedConcealed Handgun Licenses On College Campuses1773 Words   |  8 Pagesfollow stated by the Texas Department of Public Safety surrounding concealed handguns licenses on college campuses says it â€Å"Authorizes a license holder t o carry a concealed handgun on their person while they are on the campus of an institution of higher education in this state. However as stated by the Department of Public Safety the institution establish rules, regulation, or other provisions concerning the storage of handguns in dormitories or other residential facilities that are operated byRead MoreShould Guns Be Allowed On College Campuses?948 Words   |  4 PagesComparison and Contrast Paper: Should Guns Be Allowed on College Campuses? Hi I am a college student at Palm Beach State College in Florida West Palm Beach. One time I went to a guns store in which you can also practice how to use a gun. I was fourteen years the first time that I used a gun. I went to the place with my sister, three cousins and my father. The truth is that it was fun to use a gun, although we all knew it was dangerous to use one if we had not have any experience with it beforehandRead MoreStop Shootings On College Campuses859 Words   |  4 PagesDue to the significant number of violent shootings on college campuses in the past recent years, many have argued that both students and teachers should be allowed to carry a concealed handgun on campus to defend themselves. They believe it will help stop shootings and make campuses safer, but will it? These people who are suggesting this are only thinking about their own safety and not thinking about the consequences that will flourish due to guns on campus. Guns on campus would not only lead toR ead MoreConcealed Carry On Campus : Promoting The Safety Of Students Essay1602 Words   |  7 PagesConcealed Carry on Campus: Promoting the Safety of Students Carrying a concealed weapon is the practice of carrying a concealed firearm on one s person in public (Concealed Weapons Law Legal Definition). There are several reasons why people feel the need to carry concealed weapons. Some feel wary of the environment in which they live, thanks in part to high crime rates. Some like the assurance that a weapon provides them in the event that a police officer is not available. Others simply likeRead MoreShould College Campuses Be Banned?1256 Words   |  6 Pageson the campuses of the schools. These crimes have taken place everywhere, from Columbine High School all the way to a classroom on the Virginia Tech campus. To be more specific the most devastating crime that can take place on a collegiate campus is a mass shooting. So, with more and more states beginning to allow those who possess a conceal carry permit, to carry at more places throughout the state. The question is asked, should college campuses allow students to carry a concealed ha ndgun, whileRead MoreThe True Nature Of School Shootings1066 Words   |  5 Pagesshooting. From the aftermath of these shootings, a solution was found to prevent such things from happening which is allow concealed-carry weapons on college campuses. It is said if there are more guns on campuses, the chances of a gun man taking out more innocent lives are less likely due to the amount of people with guns. Despite this sound solution of concealed carry on college campuses, the reality is that it causes more problems than it solves, and there are better solutions to this problem at handRead MoreShould Guns Be Permitted On College Campuses?930 Words   |  4 PagesShould guns be permitted on College Campuses? Across the country, there has been so much concern for the safety of college students and their well being that the use and carrying of guns has been brought into case with the introduction of bills. Allowing guns on college campuses would potentially be dangerous for everyone, including students and faculty members. A lot of damage and harm could occur. While some students might use them for protection, legalizing them would also increase the chancesRead MoreShould We Put Guns On Our Campuses?954 Words   |  4 Pagesresponsible for this massacre. This has every school in America asking the question, should we put guns on our campuses? No, you shouldn t though it sounds like a great idea now you must think about the future impact in would have on the student population. College campuses are having an especially hard with this considering the age group in which their student body lies. If this law was passed campuses around America would have to face the fact that student would be able to carry around dangerous weaponsRead MoreShould Weapons Carry A Concealed Weapon?928 Words   |  4 Pagesissues behind them. College students are already aroused and stressed to do extraordinary in their courses. Would consenting untrained students to carry concealed weapons around campus be such an enticing idea, when at any moment someone could lose their mind and go on a shooting rage? One may never know what kind of background that specific being that carries a concealed firearm has. In reality no one knows what kind of effect this would have towards universities or college campuses, but it could resultRead MoreConcealed Weapons and Campus Safety803 Words   |  4 PagesConcealed Weapons and Campus Safety Prepared For: Professor --- WRT202.101 York College of PA Prepared By: TygaStyle, Student WRT202.101 York College of PA 2 August 2012 Introduction On April 16, 2007, Seung Hui Cho shot and killed 32 people and wounded 17 others on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA in two separate attacks about two hours apart (Mass Shootings at Virginia Tech, 2007; Worth, 2008). Those shots were heard around the

Monday, December 16, 2019

The Power Flower Essay - 1646 Words

Describe: Today was the day we went over the specific activity that we, as Brescia students would facilitate with some of London’s high school girls. Needless to say, this is all becoming very real. The activity was, to put it simply, a method of deconstructing and being critical of power structures within society. The ‘Power Flower’ that we filled in was an interesting approach to realizing how certain people of certain denominations can be affected by the various ‘categories’ that they fit into. In essence, each petal had a certain label such as ‘race’ then, we were expected to fill the outer petal with what race we found to be the one with the most power and privilege in society and filled the inner petal with our own race. One by one within our own groups we filled each petal. Some of which we struggled to define and others we failed to see how they were relevant to power and privilege within our own bubbles. Besides a few exceptions, they were relatively easy to fill out and there was little debate within my group. Reflect: Despite my initial apprehensions, I’m looking forward to facilitating this activity with the high school girls coming to Brescia on International Day of the Girl. I found going through the activity myself with my fellow students already taught me many things. First, we found that ethnicity as a category was difficult to even understand what it meant, let alone determine which one was in power. Another category my group had difficulty with wasShow MoreRelatedRemembering Flower Power1206 Words   |  5 PagesFlower Power A photographer may never know when the right moment to take a photograph is, nor do they know when a moment may present itself that needs to be captured and shared with the world. On October 21st, 1967 Bernie Boston could have been just another face in the crowd, but he had had the foresight to position himself on a wall of the Mall Entrance to the Pentagon. That day was the culmination of a week of protests, working to end the ongoing war in Vietnam. By this time, thousands of peopleRead MoreInto the Pulpit: Southern Baptist Women and Power Since World War II, by Elizabeth Flowers3109 Words   |  13 PagesInto the Pulpit: Southern Baptist Women and Power Since World War II, by Elizabeth Flowers, as the title suggest, is a historical account of women and their treatment in the Southern Baptist Convention from the mid 1940’s to present. Flower’s work revolves much around the well accounted for story of the SBC conflicts of the late 20th century, however, providing the often untold story of women in ministry and particularly their mistreatment. The book is broken up chronologically, chapter one andRead MoreDuring the 1960s, a new culture spread throughout the United States, stirring up the Flower Power800 Words   |  4 PagesDuring the 1960s, a new culture spread throughout the United States, stirring up the Flower Power movement as well as the aversion from the typical American lifestyle. These â€Å"Hippies† as they were known, didn’t want to fit in with the mainstream crowd. The name â€Å"hippie† was taken from the term â€Å"hipster†. It described how the Hippies believed that we should make love, not war, their vocal opposition to the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War, and the increasingly rocky road to shared civilRead MoreAnalysis of [My Lady Walks...] Essay1105 Words   |  5 Pageslove, pureness, and of natural beauty. In his sonnet, â€Å"[My lady’s presence makes the roses red ]†, Constable talks to the various body parts of his â€Å"lady†, claiming that they inspire envy into flowers and that his â€Å"lady† is in fact the source of the power for the flowers. Using this personification of the flowers, Constable shapes his sonnet as one that is complementing and treasuring his â€Å"lady†, however, a deeper examination into the tone of his work shows a much more intriguing side of this sonnetRead MoreVisual Rhetorical Analysis Essay1009 Words   |  5 Pagesteen is seen poking carnations into the barrels of guns held by members of the US National Guard. This moment, captured by photographer Bernie Boston symbolizes the flower power movement. Flower power is a phrase that referred to the hippie notion of â€Å"make love not war†, and the idea that love and nonviolence, such as the growing of flowers, was a better way to heal the world than continued focus on capitalism and wars. The photograph can be analyzed through th e elements of image as defined by ‘TheRead MoreWomen in the Odyssey by Homer Essay examples684 Words   |  3 Pagesvery strong presence. The three main examples are Calypso, Athena, and the Lotus Flower. Each of these examples has a predominant presence in The Odyssey making them sturdy objects. At first the goddess Calypso presents a strong force in the very beginning of the poem. Calypso, Atlass daughter, keeps the sad Odysseus (Book I) in her grotto (Book V). The godlike Odysseus is the source of the masculine power in this book and for him to be held against his will is a statement that men areRead MoreI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Essay782 Words   |  4 Pagesknowledge to her. Among these people was Mrs. Bertha Flowers, a person in which Maya respected greatly. She was a dignified person that Maya could strive to achieve the gratitude that Mrs. Flowers gave to the people around her, a sense of appreciation. In her life story, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou attributes her characteristics she has acquired today, being influential, wise, and respected, to Mrs. Flowers, who shows her the power of a voice, the knowledge of literature, and prideRead MoreThe Good Earth Character Analysis1067 Words   |  5 Pagesrise to power. For example, Lotus Flower Fl ower, a prostitute, uses Wang Lung’s attraction towards her in order to secure herself a higher place in society. Next, Pear Blossom, a slave, uses flattery and sexuality to persuade Wang Lung to take her as a concubine. Finally, O-lan, Wang Lung’s wife, rises to power in her new home by inserting herself into a position usually held by men. Throughout the novel, women carefully navigate the misogyny expressed by men and rise in status and power by takingRead MorePoems of Robert Frost Essay1556 Words   |  7 Pagespoems he talks about flowers or refers to flowers. There are many poems from Frost with the word flower in the title including the poems â€Å"Flower- Gathering†, which is about the seasons changing and how the flowers wilt away, and the poem â€Å"The Flower Boat†. †The Flower Boat† is not actually about flowers but about a sailors journey in a boat called the flower boat. There are also other poems that do not have the word flowe rs in the poem but still very well have to do with flowers such as the poem â€Å"PuttingRead MoreThe Lotus by Toru Dutt1493 Words   |  6 PagesLOTUS A poem by Toru Dutt Love came to Flora asking for a flower That would of flowers be undisputed queen, The lily and the rose, long, long had been Rivals for that high honour. Bards of power Had sung their claims. The rose can never tower Like the pale lily with her Juno mien-- But is the lily lovelier? Thus between Flower-factions rang the strife in Psyches bower. Give me a flower delicious as the rose And stately as the lily in her pride-- But of what colour

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Poverty Relief Strategies- Free-Samples for Students- Myassignment

Question: What are some alternative Strategies for Poverty Relief? Answer: Introduction The last decade has witnessed a transformation on how financial aids are managed to impact on the livelihood of the poor people. Initially, financial aids were given in the form of cash hand outs. However, such a strategy was found to lack any impact on poverty reduction. As a consequence, a new aid design was created. The design was crafted to assume entrepreneurialism aid relief projects in the form of inclusive business models, in which the poor are assisted to establish or improve businesses. The conviction was illumined by the reason that money is managed better once invested either in the form of physical or human capital (Adepoju, 2014). Inclusive business models are designed to integrate the poor people both as suppliers and customers at different stages in the value chain. The model thus links the gap between people with meager income and businesses for reciprocal benefits. Furthermore, this kind of models can be crafted to utilize readily available environmental resources. As a result, the business becomes financially sustainable, hence, turning the poor to emerge as entrepreneurs and customers within the business value chain (De La O, 2015). Such aids projects can thus make poor people have increased income and productivity, consequently becoming easy for them to meet their basic needs. The objective of the research, therefore, is to analyze the problems associated with aid projected which help the poor to establish or improve businesses. The essay will further investigate some alternative strategies for poverty relief as well as highlight examples of aids projects that are anti- entrepreneurialism. Problems with Entrepreneurialism Relief Projects Entrepreneurialism relief projects like inclusive business models are strategies which have been designed by the International Development Assistance Agencies such as Local and International NGOs, Religious Organizations, as well as Development Consulting Firms to elevate poverty levels in the world. However, most often of these International Development Assistance Agencies are not inspired by authentic interest to reduce poverty but to monitor and respond to the political, economic, and religious interests of the donors (Haveman Wallace, 2015). In most cases, International Development Assistance Agencies operate in developing countries while their headquarters are based in the developed nations where they battle for donations from public and private donors. As a consequence of huge budgets and massive funding, aids projects disallow any attempt to hire the local experts or partnering with local businesses (Hickey Du Toit, 2013). The agencies thus initiate entrepreneurialism relief projects without adequate understanding of the local situation to appeal to the people sentiments of compassion and solidarity with the poor. Such appeals make them attractive to the public, therefore, creating an opportunity for them to achieve the priorities of their donors (Randel German, 2013). Additionally, the relief strategies are marked by little or no participation of the poor, whom they are meant to assist (Katz, 2013). It is rather unfortunate that the International Development Assistance Agencies do not integrate the opinions of the in developing these strategies. Participation of the poor into the formulation of these projects is reduced to some informal meetings characterized by meager consultations and information sharing. As a consequence, implementation of such strategies is faced with major hindrances because the local poor people lack the sense of ownership of such projects. Such exclusion in decision making confirms that the agencies intention is not to alleviate poverty but to appease their donors. This conclusion is guided by the fact that, if they are guided by a genuine fight against poverty then the poor should be their primary client or principals and not the donors. The fear of being accountable is another reason why they object to such mind set. In f act, they argue that the poor lack skills, knowledge and education to evaluate and assess strategies imposed on them. Other problems associated with relief strategies include urgency and limited resources which make the projects unsustainable. Led by the desire to make the donors feel they assisted some poor people International Development Assistance Agencies hastily start new projects to ensure a constant flow of funding. It is thus outright that their annual reports and brochures only include the presumed achievements in poverty elevation but not failures. Most of the aids projects are evaluated within the funding period o they can appear successful. Another reason why aids strategies are unsustainable is because International Development Assistance Agencies prefer to initiate new projects than improving or continuing with the old projects. Such thinking is adopted because donors respond so readily to new visible changes more than the maintenance of old existing projects. Such mentality, therefore, halts aid projects once the funding ceases. Alternatives Strategies for Poverty Reliefs The problem of poverty is multifaceted. It extends outside economics to entail other issues such as cultural, social, and political concerns. As a consequence, poverty relief strategies should not be founded solely on economic policies. In actuality, they demand a comprehensive and well-coordinated set of measures. In reality, such a foundation forms the reasoning behind any well-thought poverty relief strategy. The key to poverty elevation is in the structural measures the poverty relief strategy seeks to enforce. Some of the measures include improved governance, regulatory reforms, trade liberalization, civil service reform, banking sector reform, and privatization of parastatals (Hout, 2016). An alternative strategy to the poverty relief strategies, therefore, must enhance policies that favor easy distribution of assets and income within a society. The policies must address fundamental issues like measure to maximize opportunities for the poor to access loans from financial instit utions at a friendly rate, land tenure reform, and pro-poor public expenditure. Only such vital elements will constitute an alternative strategy for poverty relief. Although poverty is a multifaceted phenomenon, it is influenced by a single significant factor which is economic growth. Therefore, macroeconomic stability is a necessity in the realization of high and sustainable economic growth rate. As such, macroeconomic stability is a core component of any alternative strategy for poverty relief. Alternative strategies must have structures which ensure government budgets are sustainably financed. Moreover, the strategy must entail articulated policies and specified objectives which are well costed and funded in a comprehensive government budget. In case a government foresees the inability to fund the alternative strategies by the use of the available resources such a government should seek assistance from International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Nonetheless, in circumstances where the funding is still insufficient government should revise the priorities of the strategy. Though, the intent of macroeconomic stability must always be upheld. The conclusion is inspired by the fact that macroeconomic stability is the foundation stone of any sustainable economic growth and increased private sector development. It is indisputable that macroeconomic instability drives both domestic and foreign investors away, thus, diverting resources elsewhere. Alternative strategies acknowledge poverty issue is a complex reality and can only be solved through diversified strategies. Hence, such a strategy must prioritize the fundamentals that affected society feels are the appropriate remedies to poverty issue affecting them. Some examples of alternative strategies for relief strategies include (Panican, Johansson, 2016); Sustainable livelihood Good governance and Job creation Education of both boys and girls Increased remuneration Gender equality Encouraging Micro-financing Transparency in government spending Cancellation of debts Access to sanitation and drinking water Access to Health care Proper nutrition to pregnant mother and infants Sustainable Livelihood Strategy Sustainable livelihood is a unique strategy which is people-centered and not donor-centered. It emphasizes securing the livelihood of the poor people as well as empowering them. The strategy is, therefore, founded on three pillars which include; Those underprivileged/poor people particularly in rural set up control massive resources and activities which can sustain them. The poorest are excessively dependent on the public or common asset for their survival. Government resources are such as forests, fisheries, and public grazing land. That successful poverty reduction strategy goes beyond the public budget to include assets and services like equitable justice systems, markets, and financial services. The strategy thus approaches the issue of poverty from a realistic, holistic, and manageable point of view. Such a broad approach aid the strategy to take into consideration the available opportunities for development and their impact on the lives of the people in question. Furthermore, the strategy positions the people and the priorities they hold dear at the core of its analysis (Krantz, 2012). The strategy encourages the use of resource/vulnerability method while analyzing the livelihood of the people in the narrative. It further underlines the significance of understanding the institutional and organizational environment as well as the vulnerability context in which the poor people draw resources of various kinds to execute a livelihood strategy. The strategy offers an explicit definition of five kinds of assets: natural capital, physical capital, social capital, financial capital and the human capital. The main strength of the strategy is its goal to include a range of resources and activities which are familiar with people in its project implementation. The strategy, therefore, offers a framework which addresses comprehensive policies which touch on the lives of the poor people. It does not only advocate for easier access to education and health but also smooth access to personal security, markets, and finance. Fundamentally, this strategy advocate sustainability, parti cipatory approach, need to change the prevailing circumstances, and the need for people to at the center of any project implemented. Such inclusive strategy, therefore, can work at various levels from local to national in conjunction with both private and public sector (Serrat, 2017). Good Governance and Job Creation Global poverty levels are on the increase despite the constant relief projects to elevate poverty concentrations in the world. The increase in global poverty is thus a clear indication that the solution to this problem is not founded on the relief projects but good governance and job creation to the affected population. Good governance entails of the processes of creating and executing decisions. The essence of good governance, therefore, is good decision creation processes (Ayre Callway, 2013). It is characterized by such qualities such as; transparency, accountability, the rule of law, inclusivity, equitability, participation, and efficiency. The strategy to utilize good governance as an alternative to relief projects ensures job creation and their sustainability. Guaranteeing education opportunities for all, availability of employment and access to health care as well as drinking water are some of the indicators of reduced poverty. However, such achievements are not possible in a country which is characterized by poor governance. Weak development model features poor governance and depending on the external aids instead of creating internal policies which will transform and enhance economic growth (De la Croix, Delavallade, 2013). Good governance is proactive, that is, it is responsive. As such it development plan inspires its financial regulation policies, macroeconomic policies, the development agenda of the private sector, the tariffs and taxation policies as well as public debt management policies (Biermann Kabiri, 2014). Unfortunately, many governments and especially in the developing countries fail to prioritize such critical policies to ensure relief projects are constantly in their countries. Similarly, good involves taking responsibility for the decisions implemented. Equality, the government should be ready to offer answers to the questions the people represented may have. Good governance encourages local solutions to the local problems that perpetuate poverty thus increasing investment opportunities (Bott, Gigler Young, 2014). For example, improvement in the infrastructures such as energy, communication, and transport present immense opportunities due to reduced cost of trade, thus enhancing inves tments. Underdevelopment, poverty and poor governance are different faces of the same coin. Therefore, good governance is the most effective alternative strategy to relief projects and aids (Kwon Kim, 2014). Examples of Aid Projects moving away from Entrepreneurism Funding of community projects is sourced from various sources which include; private sector participation, aids from external sources in the form of subsidized loans or grants, users of the project, tax through government budget. However, sourcing money from an external source is not always sustainable because of donor and development agencies fund projects for a limited duration. As a consequence, many aid projects that are detached from entrepreneurism collapse shortly after funding ceases. Some of the aid projects that have moved away from entrepreneurism include; Nutritional Improvement Projects In these kinds of aids project donor and the development, agencies collaborate with both the private and the public sector to address the challenge of malnutrition among the poor people. Therefore, most projects initiated within this mind set are agriculturally based meant to offer nutrition remedies (Ortuo, Vitoriano, 2013). There are numerous projects which are funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to solve nutritional challenges. Examples of these projects are like; Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and Strengthening Partnership, Results, and Innovation on Nutrition Globally (SPRING). Such programs are thus aimed at improving food security policies for nutrition. Hence, they do not fund agricultural projects with the intention of encouraging the community to embrace agribusiness but for dietary purposes. Conclusion In conclusion, it is indisputable that the quality of aid projects is in most cases deficient; hence, the need to carefully evaluate the effectiveness of such projects. It is also important for the donor and the international agencies to encourage the local to actively participate in the projects they intend to initiate for them. Such inclusivity will ensure continuity of such even after the donor funding ceases. Besides, it has emerged that the most effective strategy to deal with the poverty question is good governance. Although some countries are in need dire need of aid projects, it is worth understanding that relief projects are not the solution to the increasing global poverty; therefore, the need for the world to appreciate and promote the available alternative strategies. References Adepoju, R. I. (2014). A Critical Analysis of Poverty Alleviation Strategies of Al-Hayat Relief Foundation in Nigeria. Journal of Islamic Finance, 3(2), 49-59. Ayre, G., Callway, R. (2013). Governance for sustainable development: a foundation for thfuture. Earthscan. Biermann, F., Stevens, C., Bernstein, S., Gupta, A., Kabiri, N. (2014). Integrating governanceInto the sustainable development goals (No. 3). UNU-IAS. Bott, M., Gigler, B. S., Young, G. (2014). The role of crowdsourcing for better governance inFragile state contexts (pp. 107-148). Open Development Technology Alliance. De la Croix, D., Delavallade, C. (2013). Why corrupt governments may receive more foreigaid. Oxford Economic Papers, 66(1), 51-66. De La O, A. L. (2015). Crafting Policies to End Poverty in Latin America. Cambridge UniversityPress.Haveman, R., Blank, R., Moffitt, R., Smeeding, T., Wallace, G. (2015). The war on poverty:Measurement, trends, and policy. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 34(3),593-638. Hickey, S., Du Toit, A. (2013). Adverse incorporation, social exclusion, and chronic poverty.In Chronic Poverty (pp. 134-159). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Hout, W. (Ed.). (2016). EU development policy and poverty reduction: enhancing effectiveness.Routledge. Katz, M. B. (2013). Poverty and policy in American history. ElsevierKrantz, L. (2012). The sustainable livelihood approach to poverty reduction. SIDA. Division forPolicy and Socio-Economic Analysis. Kwon, H. J., Kim, E. (2014). Poverty reduction and good governance: Examining the rationaleof the Millennium Development Goals. Development and Change, 45(2), 353-375.Ortuo, M. T., Cristbal, P., Ferrer, J. M., Martn-Campo, F. J., Muoz, S., Tirado, G., Vitoriano, B. (2013). Decision aid models and systems for humanitarian logistics. survey. In Decision aid models for disaster management and emergencies (pp. 17-44).Atlantis Press. Panican, A., Johansson, H. (2016). Strategies Against Poverty in a Social Democratic Local Welfare System: Still the Responsibility of Public Actors?. In Combating Poverty in Local Welfare Systems (pp. 155-177). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Randel, J., German, T. (2013). The Reality of Aid 1997-1998: An Independent Review of Development Cooperation (Vol. 10). Routledge. Serrat, O. (2017). The sustainable livelihoods approach. In Knowledge solutions (pp. 21-26)Springer Singapore.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Some people believe that competitive sports both team and individual h

Some people believe that competitive sports both team and individual have no place in the school curriculum. How much do you agree or disagree? Sports especially competitive sport has a lot of benefits and good for students. However, some people think that competitive sports should be eradicated from the curriculum of school. In my perspective, I strongly disagree with that idea for the following reasons. First, competitive sports help students keep fit and stay healthy. When students play competitive sports not only their body and muscles are enhanced but also the calories which they absorbed in foods during the day will be burned. In addition, playing competitive sports prevent students from obesity and heart attack. For example, competitive sport such as basket ball, football or volleyball make players move continuously, the fat and calories in body will be burned more than sitting immovable. Some scientists proved that playing competitive sport reduce potential diseases and lengthen age. Second, competitive sports also help student build up a team spirit and bring benefits for students social well-being. When students take part in competitive sports, they have to work with their teams. This force them make friends, talk with others and cooperate with their teams members. As a result, students team work skill will be improved and increase their communication. Moreover, playing competitive sports is good opportunities for student to improve their problem-solving skills and decision-making skills. These are highly useful skills for students in future works. In conclusion, for these reasons above, I think that competitive sports should not be removed from curriculum of school because they bring a lot of benefits for students physical and mental health and they also contribute to students social well-being.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Changing the Constitution Without the Amendment Process

Changing the Constitution Without the Amendment Process   Since its final ratification in 1788, the U.S. Constitution has been changed countless times by means other than the traditional and lengthy amendment process spelled out in Article V of the Constitution itself. In fact, there are five totally legal â€Å"other† ways the Constitution can be changed. Universally acclaimed for how much it accomplishes in so few words, the U.S. Constitution is also often criticized as being too brief- even â€Å"skeletal†- in nature. In fact, the Constitution’s framers knew the document could not and should not try to address every situation that the future might hold. Clearly, they wanted to ensure that the document allowed for flexibility in both its interpretation and future application. As a result, many changes have been made to the Constitution over the years without changing a word in it. The important process of changing the Constitution by means other than the formal amendment process has historically taken place and will continue to take place in five basic ways: Legislation enacted by CongressActions of the President of the United StatesDecisions of the federal courtsActivities of the political partiesThe application of custom Legislation The framers clearly intended that Congress- through the legislative process- add meat to the skeletal bones of the Constitution as required by the many unforeseen future events they knew were to come. While Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution grants Congress 27 specific powers under which it is authorized to pass laws, Congress has and will continue to exercise its â€Å"implied powers† granted to it by Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the Constitution to pass laws it considers â€Å"necessary and proper† to best serve the people. Consider, for example, how Congress has fleshed out the entire lower federal court system from the skeletal framework created by the Constitution. In Article III, Section 1, the Constitution provides only for â€Å"one Supreme Court and †¦ such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain or establish.† The â€Å"from time to time† began less than a year after ratification when Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789 establishing the structure and jurisdiction of the federal court system and creating the position of attorney general. All other federal courts, including courts of appeals and bankruptcy courts, have been created by subsequent acts of Congress. Similarly, the only top-level government offices created by Article II of the Constitution are the offices of the President and Vice President of the United States. All of the rest of the many other departments, agencies, and offices of the now-massive executive branch of government have been created by acts of Congress, rather than by amending the Constitution. Congress itself has expanded the Constitution in the ways it has used the â€Å"enumerated† powers granted to it in Article I, Section 8. For example, Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 grants Congress the power to regulate commerce between the states- â€Å"interstate commerce.† But what exactly is interstate commerce and what exactly does this clause give Congress the power to regulate? Over the years, Congress has passed hundreds of seemingly unrelated laws citing its power to regulate interstate commerce. For example, since 1927, Congress has virtually amended the Second Amendment by passing gun control laws based on its power to regulate interstate commerce. Presidential Actions Over the years, the actions of various presidents of the United States have essentially modified the Constitution. For example, while the Constitution specifically gives Congress the power to declare war, it also deems the president to be the â€Å"Commander in Chief† of all U.S. armed forces. Acting under that title, several presidents have sent American troops into combat without an official declaration of war enacted by Congress. While flexing the commander in chief title in this way is often controversial, presidents have used it to send U.S. troops into combat on hundreds of occasions. In such cases, Congress will sometimes pass declarations of war resolution as a show of support for the president’s action and the troops who have already been deployed to battle. Similarly, while Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution gives presidents the power- with a supermajority approval of the Senate- to negotiate and execute treaties with other countries, the treaty-making process is lengthy and the consent of the Senate always in doubt. As a result, presidents often unilaterally negotiate â€Å"executive agreements† with foreign governments accomplishing many of the same things accomplished by treaties. Under international law, executive agreements are just as legally binding on all of the nations involved. Decisions of the Federal Courts In deciding many cases that come before them, the federal courts, most notably the Supreme Court, are required to interpret and apply the Constitution. The purest example of this may be in the 1803 Supreme Court case of Marbury v. Madison. In this early landmark case, the Supreme Court first established the principle that the federal courts could declare an act of Congress null and void if it finds that law to be inconsistent with the Constitution. In his  historic majority opinion in Marbury v. Madison, Chief Justice John Marshall wrote, â€Å"†¦ it is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is.† Ever since Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court has stood as the final decider of the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress. In fact, President Woodrow Wilson once called the Supreme Court a â€Å"constitutional convention in continuous session.† Political Parties Despite the fact that the Constitution makes no mention of political parties, they have clearly forced constitutional changes over the years. For example, neither the Constitution nor federal law provides for a method of nominating presidential candidates. The entire primary and convention process of nomination has been created and often amended by the leaders of the major political parties. While not required by or even suggested in the Constitution, both chambers of Congress are organized and conduct the legislative process based on party representation and majority power. In addition, presidents often fill high-level appointed government positions based on political party affiliation. The framers of the Constitution intended the electoral college system of actually electing the president and vice president to be little more than a procedural â€Å"rubber stamp† for certifying the results of each state’s popular vote in presidential elections. However, by creating state-specific rules for selecting their electoral college electors and dictating how they might vote, the political parties have at least modified the electoral college system over the years. Customs History is full of examples of how custom and tradition have expanded the Constitution. For example, the existence, form, and purpose of the vitally important president’s cabinet itself is a product of custom rather than the Constitution. On all eight occasions when a president has died in office, the vice president has followed the path of presidential succession to be sworn into the office. The most recent example happened in 1963  when Vice President Lyndon Johnson replaced the recently assassinated President John F. Kennedy. However, until the ratification of the 25th Amendment in 1967- four years later- the Constitution provided that only the duties, rather than the actual title as president, should be transferred to the vice president.

Friday, November 22, 2019

An Explanation of the Origins of the Cold War in Europe

An Explanation of the Origins of the Cold War in Europe In the aftermath of the Second World War two power blocs formed in Europe, one dominated by America and capitalist democracy (though there were exceptions), the other dominated by the Soviet Union and communism. While these powers never directly fought, they waged a cold war of economic, military and ideological rivalry which dominated the second half of the twentieth. Pre-World War Two The origins of the Cold War can be traced back to the Russian Revolution of 1917, which created a Soviet Russia with a profoundly different economic and ideological state to the capitalist and democratic West. The ensuing civil war, in which Western powers unsuccessfully intervened, and the creation of Comintern, an organization dedicated to the spreading of communism, globally fuelled a climate of mistrust and fear between Russia and the rest of Europe/America. From 1918 to 1935, with the US pursuing a policy of isolationism and Stalin keeping Russia looking inward, the situation remained one of dislike rather than conflict. In 1935 Stalin changed his policy: afraid of fascism, he tried to form an alliance with the democratic Western powers against Nazi Germany. This initiative failed and in 1939 Stalin signed the Nazi-Soviet pact with Hitler, which only increased anti-Soviet hostility in the West, but delayed the onset of war between the two powers. However, while Stalin hoped Germ any would get bogged down in a war with France, early Nazi conquests occurred quickly, enabling Germany to invade the Soviet Union in 1941. The Second World War and the Political Division of Europe The German invasion of Russia, which followed a successful invasion of France, united the Soviets with Western Europe and later America in an alliance against their common enemy: Adolf Hitler. This war transformed the global balance of power, weakening Europe and leaving Russia and the United States of America as global superpowers, with massive military strength; everyone else was second. However, the wartime alliance was not an easy one, and by 1943 each side was thinking about the state of Post-war Europe. Russia ‘liberated’ vast areas of Eastern Europe, into which it wanted to put its own brand of government and turn into Soviet satellite states, in part to gain security from the capitalist West. Although the Allies tried to gain assurances for democratic elections from Russia during mid and post war conferences, there was ultimately nothing they could do to stop Russia from imposing its will on their conquests. In 1944 Churchill, Prime Minister of Britain was quoted as saying â€Å"Make no mistake, all the Balkans apart from Greece are going to be Bolshevised and there’s nothing I can do to prevent it. There’s nothing I can do for Poland, either†. Meanwhile, the Allies liberated large parts of Western Europe in which they recreated democratic nations. Two Superpower Blocs and Mutual Distrust World War Two finished in 1945 with Europe divided into two blocs, each occupied by the armies of, in the west America and the Allies, and in the east, Russia. America wanted a democratic Europe and was afraid of communism dominating the continent while Russia wanted the opposite, a communist Europe in which they dominated and not, as they feared, a united, capitalist Europe. Stalin believed, at first, those capitalist nations would soon fall to squabbling among themselves, a situation he could exploit, and was dismayed by the growing organization among the West. To these differences were added fear of Soviet invasion in the West and Russian fear of the atomic bomb ; fear of economic collapse in the west versus fear of economic domination by the west; a clash of ideologies (capitalism versus communism) and, on the Soviet front, the fear of a rearmed Germany hostile to Russia. In 1946 Churchill described the dividing line between East and West as an Iron Curtain.​ Containment, the Marshall Plan and the Economic Division of Europe America reacted to the threat of the spread of both Soviet power and communist thinking by commencing the policy of ‘containment’, outlined in a speech to Congress on March 12, 1947, action aimed at stopping any further Soviet expansion and isolating the ‘empire’ which existed. The need to halt Soviet expansion seemed all the more important later that year as Hungary was taken over by a one party communist system, and later when a new communist government took over the Czech state in a coup, nations which until then Stalin had been content to leave as a middle ground between the communist and capitalist blocs. Meanwhile, Western Europe was having severe economic difficulties as the nations struggled to recover from the devastating effects of the recent war. Worried that communist sympathizers were gaining influence as the economy worsened, to secure the western markets for US products and to put containment into practice, America reacted with the ‘Mars hall Plan’ of massive economic aid. Although it was offered to both eastern and western nations, albeit with certain strings attached, Stalin made sure it was rejected in the Soviet sphere of influence, a response the US had been expecting. Between 1947 and 1952 $13 billion was given to 16 mainly western nations and, while the effects are still debated, it generally boosted the economies of member nations and helped freeze communist groups from power, for example in France, where the communists members of the coalition government were ousted. It also created an economic divide as clear as the political one between the two power blocs. Meanwhile, Stalin formed COMECON, the ‘Commission for Mutual Economic Aid’, in 1949 to promote trade and economic growth among its satellites and Cominform, a union of communist parties (including those in the west) to spread communism. Containment also led to other initiatives: in 1947 the CIA spent large amounts to influence the result of Italy’s elections, helping the Christian Democrats defeat the Communist party. The Berlin Blockade By 1948, with Europe was firmly divided into communist and capitalist, Russian supported and American supported, Germany became the new ‘battleground’. Germany was divided into four parts and occupied by Britain, France,  America, and Russia; Berlin, situated in the Soviet zone, was also divided. In 1948 Stalin enforced a blockade of Western Berlin aimed at bluffing the Allies into renegotiating the division of Germany in his  favor, rather than them declaring war over the cut off zones. However, Stalin had miscalculated the ability of airpower, and the Allies responded with the ‘Berlin Airlift’: for eleven months supplies were flown into Berlin. This  was, in turn, a bluff, for the Allied planes had to fly over Russian airspace and the Allies gambled that Stalin wouldn’t shoot them down and risk war. He didn’t and the blockade was ended in May 1949 when Stalin gave up. The Berlin Blockade was the first time the previous diplomatic and po litical divisions in Europe had become an open battle of wills, the former allies now certain enemies. NATO, the Warsaw Pact and the Renewed Military Division of Europe In April 1949, with the Berlin Blockade in full effect and the threat of conflict with Russia looming, the Western powers signed the NATO treaty in Washington, creating a military alliance: the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The emphasis was firmly on  defense  from  Soviet  activity. That same year Russia detonated its first atomic weapon, negating the America advantage and reducing the chance of the powers engaging in a ‘regular’ war because of fears over the consequences of nuclear conflict. There were debates over the next few years among NATO powers over whether to rearm West Germany and in 1955 it became a full member of NATO. A week later eastern nations signed the Warsaw Pact, creating a military alliance under a Soviet commander. A Cold War By 1949 two sides had formed, power blocs which were deeply opposed to each other, each believing the other threatened them and everything they stood for (and in many ways they did). Although there was no traditional warfare, there was a nuclear standoff and attitudes and ideology hardened over the next decades, the gap between them growing more entrenched. This led to the ‘Red Scare’ in the United States and yet more crushing of dissent in Russia. However, by this time the Cold War had also spread beyond the boundaries of Europe, becoming truly global as China became communist and America intervened in Korea and Vietnam. Nuclear weapons also grew more power with the creation, in 1952 by the US and in 1953 by the USSR, of thermonuclear weapons which were vastly more destructive than those dropped during the Second World War. This led to the development of ‘Mutually Assured Destruction’, whereby neither the US nor USSR would ‘hot’ war with each o ther because the resulting conflict would destroy much of the world.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Nursing - Essay Example Notably, nurses should clearly understand the procedure in which information is processed in the health care organization through getting training in the field of informatics. According to the tertiary education systems, an individual can obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing after a four-year period of study. After completing this program, they undertake the NCLEX-RN test. When they successfully complete this licensure examination, then they are identified as a registered nurse. After obtaining the degree in nursing, they are also required to have a similar degree in computer science or informatics which takes a period of at least three years. When they are through with the Master’s degree in informatics, then, they are identified as informatics nurses. In conclusion, this discipline is regarded as one of the most recent in the nursing profession. There are various issues that are more emphasized than others in this discipline. For example, the staff members are mainly involved in the implementation of plans that are aimed at digitizing patient records. This means that the staff members are supposed to analyze the efficiency of the computing methods. Furthermore, the informatics nurses can also take part in advertising and demonstrating of computerized systems in health care institutions. The informatics nurses are mainly involved in the programming aspects of the health care organization. For instance, the staff members can integrate their ideas to develop a program for nurses.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Report on Marks and Spencer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Report on Marks and Spencer - Essay Example The current liabilities includes trade payables and other payables, borrowings and other financial liabilities, partnership liability to the pension scheme, derivative financial instruments, provisions and current tax liabilities. The company had Interest bearing debts from external sources of ?2,760.9 million and loans from partners to fund the pension scheme of ?71.9 million. Both consist of a mix of a long term portion and a short term portion which is due within the next 12 months. The table below provides that information for interest bearing or fixed interest debt.. Interest Bearing Debts Period Partnership loans ? Other Interest Bearing Loans ? Total Current 0 482.9 482.9 Non-current 71.9 2,278.0 2349.9 Total 71.9 2,760.9 2832.8 Marks and Spencer’s Financial Structure The following ratios in the table below will assist in the assessment of Marks and Spencer. Ratio Formulae 2010 2009 Debt Management Debt ratio (Total liabilities/Total assets) x 100% (4,967.3/7,153.2)x100 % = 69.4% (5,157.5/7,258.1) x 100 = 71% Gearing Ratio Interest Bearing Debts (IBD)/Equity + IBD 2,832.8/5,018.7 = 56.4% 3,200.6/5,301.2 = 60.38% Interest Cover Profit Before Interest and Tax (PBIT)/Interest Expense 852/162.2 = 5 times 870.7/214.5 = 4 times Liquidity Ratio Current ratio Current assets/current liabilities 0.80 0.60 Acid Test Ratio Current assets - inventory)/current liabilities 0.47 0.37 Debt Management The debt management ratios indicate how the company’s management has managed the debts of the company. According to Brigham (2005) the extent to which debt financing, which is also referred to as financial leverage is used by a firm has three implications. Firstly, financing the business using debt will allow share holders to maintain control of the company without increasing their investment in it. Secondly, shareholders returns can be substantially increased if the company earns more on investments that are financed with borrowed funds. However, financial risk increases as debt increases. Thirdly, creditors depend on shareholders to provide a margin of safety. Therefore the more funds supplied by shareholders the more comfortable they are in doing business with the company. Additionally, the interest expense which relates to interest charged on borrowed funds is allowable as a deduction for tax purposes. Dividend is not so allowed and is a distribution after tax is deducted. The Debt Ratio The debt ratio is the ratio of total liabilities to total assets and provides information on how much of the funds are provided by sources other than equity. The company’s debt ratio is 69.4% for the year ended April 3, 2010. Although this is an improvement over the previous year’s figure of 71%,. the guideline indicates that a percentage over 50% percent does not augur well. Marks and Spencer’s debt ratio is unfavourable and indicate problems with its financial structure. However, a comparison with the average in the industry in w hich Marks and Spencer operates is important. The gearing ratio below will provide additional information. The Gearing Ratio The gearing ratio is the portion of interest bearing debts to equity and interest bearing debt. The gearing ratio of 56% suggests that the company has a significant amount of interest bearing debt in its capital structure. The normal threshold of 50% has been exceeded. However, whether the ratio is favourable or not depends on the industry. The ratio for the year ende

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Comparative Study of Personal Financial Planning Essay Example for Free

Comparative Study of Personal Financial Planning Essay It is generally seen that people have a misconception that financial planning is about saving more and spending less but that is not the case, it is more about saving the right amount so that future goals can be met. The objective of financial planning is * To ensure that the right amount of money is available in right hands at right point of time in the future to achieve the desired goals and objectives. It * Provides direction and meaning to your financial decisions. * It allows you to understand how each financial decision you make affects other areas of your finances. Financial planning and investments can be undertaken by anyone with a clear assessment of ones inflow of funds and the goals that need to be achieved from time to time. Keywords: Financial planning, wealth management, investment instruments, real estate Introduction Financial planning is achieving your financial goals in the most efficient manner. The broad areas of financial planning include Investment planning  -Your wealth will only grow over time if you have invested it in assets. Investment planning  deals with the kind of investments an individual should invest in to get the best out of his wealth. In this the risk and return profiling of an individual is done based on his life stage, spending requirements with respect to his income and wealth, time horizon and liquidity requirements and various individual specific constraints. Investment Planning is important because it helps you to derive the maximum benefit from your investments. | Cash flow planning   In simple terms, cash flow refers to the inflow and outflow of money. It is a record of your income and expenses. Though this sounds simple, very few people actually take time out to find out what comes in and what goes out of their hands each month. Cash flow planning refers to the process of identifying the major expenditures in future (both short-term and long-term) and making planned investments so that the required amount is accumulated within the required time frame. Cash flow planning is the first thing that should be done prior to starting an investment exercise, because only then will you be in a position to know how your finances look like, and what is it that you can invest without causing a strain on yourself. It will also enable you to understand if a particular investment matches with your flow requirement| | | 3. Retirement planning   Retirement planning means making sure you will have enough money to live on after retiring from work. Retirement should be the best period of your life, when you can literally sit back and relax or enjoy your life by reaping benefits of what you earn in so many years of hard work. But it is easier said than done. To achieve a hassle-free retired life, you need to make prudent invest ment decisions during your working life, thus putting your hard-earned money to work for you in future. Planning for retirement is as important as planning your career and marriage. Life takes its own course and from the poorest to the wealthiest, no one gets spared. We get older every day, without realizing. However, we assume that old age is never going to touch us. The future depends to a great extent on the choices you make today. Right decisions with the help of proper financial planning, taken at the right time will assure smile and success at the time of retirement. Retirement Planning acquires added importance because of the fact that though longevity has increased, the number of working years havent.Tax planning   Tax evasion is illegal but tax minimization is legal. Thus you can reduce your tax liability by planning effectively. With proper tax planning you can increase your after tax income. |   | 5. | Children future planning- It is essential to plan for the future of your children. The purpose of Childrens Future Planning is to create a corpus for foreseeable expenditures such as those on higher education and wedding and to provide for an adequa te security cover during their growing years. Savings alone is no longer enough.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Deceitful Clytemnestra of Euripides Electra Essay -- Euripides Electr

Deceitful Clytemnestra of Euripides' Electra Agamemnon returns from Troy, a victorious general, bringing home spoils, riches and fame. He is murdered on the same day as he returns. Clytemnestra, his adulterous wife, has laid in wait for her husband's homecoming and kills him whilst he is being bathed after his long journey. During the Agamemnon, large proportions of the Queen's words are justifications for her action, which is very much concerned with the sacrifice of Iphigenia to the gods, in order for the fleet to set sail for Troy. Aegisthus, the new husband of the Queen Clytemnestra, and partner in the conspiracy to murder the war hero, had reasons, which stemmed from the dispute between the Houses of Atreus and Thyestes. Was the murder justified retribution for a callous and dispassionate murder of an innocent girl, as well as the fate demanded by the family curse? Or was the death of Agamemnon an unjust action by the traitorous woman Clytemnestra and her lover carried out in aspirations of his wealth and power?   If we take the former of the arguments as the correct one, then the sacrifice of Iphigenia must be considered. For this, the only sources we have are those of the Chorus' songs and the highly biased accounts by Clytemnestra, who has been left to stew on her hatred for over ten years. The account given by the Chorus is full of pathos and pity "gentle curving lips...gag her hard...her glance...wounding every murderer" (235-239). They remember with sorrow, a flashback to her innocent life, and recount how she once "sang to Saving Zeus - transfixed with joy" 245. Emphasis is very much on the purity of the girl and how she did not deserve to die. However, no reference is made by the Chorus that it was Agamemnon's... ...ght have been a sponge. It is ironic I suppose that Agamemnon, lord of men was brought down by the one thing that neither of the two sons of Atreus were able to control - Women. Works Cited Adkins, A.W.H., Merit and Responsibility. A Study in Greek Values, London: Oxford University Press, 1960. Euripides. Electra. Trans. Philip Vellacott. Medea and Other Plays. Baltimore: Penguin Classics, 1963. 105-152, 201-204. Nietzsche, Friedrich. The Birth of Tragedy. Trans. Clifton Fadiman. New York: Dover   Publications, 1995. Perseus Encyclopedia. Revised 1999. Tufts University. <www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/encyclopedia?entry=Euripides>. Powell, Anton, ed.   Euripides, Women, and Sexuality.   New York: Routledge, 1990. March, Jennifer.   Euripides the Mysogynist?   Euripides, Women, and Sexuality.   Ed. Anton Powell.   New York: Routledge, 1990.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Howard Zinn Chapter One

Columbus has always been portrayed as an enlightened, peaceful explorer who â€Å"discovered† a new world, and became friends with the native people. Howard Zinn’s view on Columbus’s encounter with the natives is an entirely different perspective. Zinn describes Columbus as a man who is willing to torture and kill others to be able to accomplish what he wants; in this case he wanted to obtain gold and other resources to take back with him to Spain.When Columbus and his men arrived to the islands, he noticed that the natives were generous, and accommodating because they willingly traded everything they owned and brought them such things like: food, water, and gifts. Since the beginning the natives offered all of their hospitality to Columbus and his men. Columbus believed that the natives were ignorant because they had no weapons for self defense; when he showed them a sword, they had no idea how to use it and ended up cutting themselves.Columbus was more than cer tain, that he could take control over the natives, and captivate them as slaves. In his writing he wrote, â€Å"They would make fine servants†¦. With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want. † (Zinn, 3) This attitude leaded to enslavement, feeling superior, and genocide by Columbus and his men towards the natives. Columbus had persuaded the king and queen of Spain to finance an expedition to the lands, and the wealth; he expected to be at the Indies and Asia.Columbus would receive ten percent of all the goods collected, governorship over new-found lands, and the fame that would go with a new title: Admiral of the Ocean Sea. Columbus believed the natives could lead him and his men to where the gold was, to be able to take it back to the King and Queen so he took many of them as prisoners on his ship. He also wanted to take them back to Spain as slaves and be able to make them do whatever they wanted them to do. Columbus took advantage of th e ignorance of the natives, and made them do hard labor for him and his men.Columbus believed that there were huge fields of gold, in the province of Cicao on Haiti. He became desperate to pay the dues back to the king and queen, so he order every native older than fourteen to collect a certain quantity of gold by three months. Once they had collected the amount, they would receive a copper to put around their neck, those without it had their hands cut off and bled to death. Many felt it was impossible to do this, and tried escaping but were always found and killed.When it was finally clear that there was no gold left, they took them all as slave labor to huge estates which are called encomiendas. Columbus’s big plan for Hispaniola since the beginning was to take advantage of the natives and take their land, and the gold he believed was located there. He built the first fort in the Western Hemisphere, and left some of his men to find and store gold there. Columbus had to ask for a little more help from their majesties, he convinced them by saying he would take them â€Å"as much gold as they need †¦ nd as many slaves as they ask† (Zinn,6 ) Columbus’s plans affected the natives, in many ways; first of all they were going to lose their land, and also they were going to be taken captive for slave labor. Howard Zinn not only introduced a new perspective on Christopher Columbus, but he changed the way I viewed things. I never knew how much killings, and torture was put upon the natives in the searching of the â€Å"New World†. I learned how the hero I thought Columbus was, in reality was more like a villain. He didn’t care what he had to do as long as he got what he wanted, even if it dealt with murders and torturing the natives.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

My Last Trip to Baguio Essay

I love travelling, especially to those beautiful spots here in the Philippines. I’ve been to Pangasinan, Quezon Province, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bataan, La Union, Baguio, and Tagaytay. One thing that I can’t forget are my trips to Baguio. I’ve been there several times with different companions. I almost memorize the different places there that the tourists visit every time they go there like Burnham park, Mines View, Wright Park, Botanical Garden, Strawberry Farm, Groto and others. One of my trips to Baguio that I still remember was when I was with my uncle and his family, together with my sister and husband. It happened last January 1, 2011. It was already four in the morning when I woke up, because we will leave at exactly 5 am. After four hours of travelling, I could feel the cold breeze of the air. At last were there! But the smell of the air, the cold that makes me chill from the first time that I’ve been there seven years ago was not that similar for me now. Then our trip to Baguio started for the whole day, we go to beautiful places there. Because it was their first time there, my husband and I served as their tour guide. We ate our breakfast at KFC in Session Road, I ordered fried chicken, rice, coffee and sundae for desert. From there we started taking up our pictures. After breakfast we went to Baguio Cathedral, and there they took a lot of pictures, because it was their first time there, they were so excited. With their different poses, anywhere even there were not so beautiful view. Even it was foggy and the views were not that clearly seen in the pictures we still continue taking up our souvenir pictures. Next place we visited after the cathedral was a garden, that was the Baguio’s Botanical Garden, for me it was more beautiful now compared before. It was more systemize and clean now. The cave that connects Botanical Garden to Mines View Park was more interesting to try now, not like before that it seems like an ordinary passage. but that cave served as a fortress of the Filipino soldiers during the war here in the Philippines. Then we went to Wright Park, we rode horses. We also go to Mines View at and bought silver jewelries, actually it was my uncle’s treat to all of us. After all the places we’ve been there, we go back to Barrio Fiesta. But it was too late for lunch and we were all hungry, we ordered lot of foods. After eating, they still want to go in other places, but the trip will took four hours again going home. So, they decided to go down. We bought strawberries, ube jam, strawberry jam and other delicacies that can be bought there. It was so tiring, but if you’ll look for the entirety of Baguio it’s just like Gapan in area.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Rise of African Slavery in the New World essays

The Rise of African Slavery in the New World essays The transformation of slavery from simple servitude to race-based slavery happened almost immediately after the New World was discovered. Slavery in Africa was based not on color or race but on the winners and losers of wars. There were four things that greatly contributed to African, race-based slavery: the European attitude towards Africans, the European attitudes toward slavery, the overall labor shortage in the New World due to the failure of European and Native American laborers, and the great ease that the Europeans had in getting slaves in Africa. The Europeans often treated the Africans as inferior, libidinous, dirty, uncivilized heathens who werent even worthy of being called humans. In White Mans Burden, the author describes the basic attitudes of Europeans towards Africans as one of disgust because the Africans wore fewif anyclothes and they didnt share the same religious views as them. The Europeans were very close-minded and this only helped to fuel the slave trade in th e New World. I would say that the Europeans mind set had the biggest effect in the change to race-based slavery. During the first days of the slave trade, some Europeans felt that slavery was immoral and unjust. This way of thinking was quickly challenged by pro-slavery royalty, explorers, businessmen, and other people who would benefit from the growth of slavery in the Americas. The pro-slavery Europeans argued that since the Bible never says slavery is wrong, there can be no way that it is immoral. Another argument was that slavery had been around for as long as recorded time so, therefore, there must be something good about it if it can last this long. The European attitudes toward slavery greatly assisted in the growth of the new slave trade. During the first few years of the New World settlements, the Europeans tried many different ways to cope with the labor shortage. Because most of the Europeans tha...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Homologous and Analogous Structures Whats the Difference

Homologous and Analogous Structures What's the Difference SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have you ever thought about how different kinds of animals have body parts that work in similar ways? Like bats and bees? Both creatures have wings - even though their bodies are structured very differently. The key to understanding these differences lies in knowing what homologous and analogous structures are. In this article, we'll talk about each type of structure and discuss the similarities and differences between them. What Are Homologous Structures? Homologous structures are similar structures in related organisms. The most important thing to remember about homologous structures is that they share common ancestry. In other words, only organisms that are somehow related to each other can have homologous structures. For example, a chimpanzee’s arm and a human’s arm are homologous structures. Both sets of arms have a similar structure and use and chimpanzees and humans share a common ancestor. What Are Analogous Structures? Analogous structures are similar structures in unrelated organisms. These structures are similar because they do the same job, not because they share common ancestry. For example, dolphins and sharks both have fins, even though they aren’t related. Both species developed fins because of how (and where) they live. What’s the Difference Between Homologous and Analogous Structures? Homologous and analogous structures have several key differences. Let’s take a look at them: Homologous Structures Analogous Structures Shared ancestry Similar internal structure May look different externally No shared ancestry Similar function May look similar externally Homologous Structures Example A great example of homologous structures are the wings of a bat and the arms of a human. Bats and humans are both mammals, so they share a common ancestry. Both a bat’s wing and a human’s arm share a similar internal bone structure, even though they look very different externally. The wing and the arm also perform different functions - wings help bats fly, while arms help humans interact with their world in a very different way. Analogous Structures Example A great example of analogous structures are a bat’s wing and a bee’s wing. Bats and bees do not share common ancestry, so the structures cannot be homologous. Both bat wings and bee wings serve a common purpose - helping bats and bees fly! The structures look similar on the outside, too. However, their internal structures are very different - bat wings have a bony structure with muscles, while bee wings are membranous extensions. Homologous and Analogous Structures - Key Takeaways Many animals have body parts that look similar, even though they don’t share common functionality. Other animals have body parts that look totally different, but have a shared background. Here’s the difference between homologous and analogous structures: Homologous structures are structures that may look or function differently from related organisms. Analogous structures are structures that look and function similarly from unrelated organisms. What’s Next? Currently taking Biology and need help with other bio topics? Learn about photosynthesis, enzymes, cell theory, and what and how the cell membrane and endoplasmic reticulum work. Are youconsideringtaking the SAT subject testsin a subject like biology? Make sure you get the inside information onthe testbefore you make your decision. If you’re a freshman, sophomore, or junior, you might consider adding AP classes to your schedule. Here’s a complete list of AP courses and tests to help you choose classes that are perfect for you. Want to know the fastest and easiest ways to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius? We've got you covered!Check out our guide to the best ways to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit (or vice versa).

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Extenuating circumstances - from Germany to the United States Essay

Extenuating circumstances - from Germany to the United States - Essay Example I knew much of the language, able to speak it but with a unique accent. I always imagined settling in United States, attending its colleges and participating in American sports activities, especially football, which is my passion. Upon arriving in Texas, I was lonely at first, lacking family, friends and any one to share my sorrows with. At school I was undetectable while at home, radio was my companion. Coming to Texas gave me sadness, at the loss of my friends in Germany and it gave me hope, at the prospects of making new friends. Building relationships was a problem; this was due to my English accent. Thoughts filled my mind every day, tormenting me on how to muster American accent and thus improve the conditions of my life. I come to realize I was in fantasy; I dreamt of how life could get better than trying to work on those improvements. Noticing this, I became an aggressive individual and focused on the current events and striving to turn ideas into achievements. I began communicating without minding any embarrassment arising from my accent. Once upon coming late to class, the student supervisor said hallo to me. Not wanting to humiliate myself, I gave a short answer, "Nothing." Immediately there was la ughter across the classroom; I also laughed. At the end of the studies, I gathered courage and asked the supervisor why the laughter. I was eager to learn though confusing or embarrassing. I stopped concentrating on the impacts of my accent on the surrounding and started communicating; as I realized this will remove feelings of remorse from my life. These ideas motivated my growth and helped me to gain confidence. In addition to this, I started writing poetry in my spare time, praising the wisdom of God and at night, I observed the stars, the moon and the clouds. This was meant to encourage me on the workings of God and view myself as a creation of God, made to perfection. I made an outline of my strengths and this gave me courage to make friends and

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Literature review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Literature review - Assignment Example Based on the above facts, Social media can be described as a communication tool that allows you to create, generate and share content with other users. Examples of social media tools are social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Wikis, blogs, tagging, live feeds among many others (Anderson, 2012). The field of social media has time and again been attacked; it is blamed for having swallowed the traditional media. However, the field of social media has relatively eased the work of the traditional media sources. In fact, I tend to think that the field of social media has opened up new avenues for the traditional media to broaden their scope and offering (Anderson, 2012). The internet has made the world a global village where one could get easy access to information, learn and conduct financial services by a click of the mouse. For the traditional media, this shouldn’t be seen as a competition but rather a new frontier to expand their horizons. Traditionally, users would receive information in a one way format. For example, a newscaster at CNN would read the news and all the rest would listen and watch; it is a one way communication. A customer of a bank, for instance, has to visit his/her local branch in case he/she has problems accessing money on the bank account. A foreign student who wished to have more information on a course offered at a local university would have to browse through pages of the university website and find no one to answer the questions that he/she may have concerning the degrees. Flash forward to nowadays, and you’ll see a newscaster through the official Facebook page, Twitter, email, even text messages mode of the station is able to receive thousands of reviews from the viewers concerning news stories that they aired. A company that places an advertisement can be able to device if its marketing strategy was successful enough. A student wishing to learn more information can use social media tools

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Balanced Scorecard in Performance Management Research Paper

Balanced Scorecard in Performance Management - Research Paper Example The concept of balanced scorecard was initiated by Kalpan and Norton at the beginning of 1990. The balanced scorecard is a strategic management tool used by organizations for the purpose of measuring their performance. While measuring the performance level it considers factors such as employee knowledge, customer satisfaction, and innovation of the company (Cambridge Dictionaries Online, n.d.). It provides ways to the organizations for balancing strategic priorities and other associated factors such as customers, finances, processes and people. The balanced scorecard also ensures that the performance standards at both individual and organizational level remain balanced (Houldsworth & Jirasinghe, 2006, p.143). It not only offers a framework for performance measurement but also enables planners to discover what must be accomplished and measured. A number of companies have therefore incorporated balanced scorecard into their system of operation, so as to facilitate effective and well-or ganized performance measurement system. These organizations with the help of performance management have been able to align their strategies & visions with the business objectives. In the context of the study, Boston Scientific Corporation has been chosen to assess how balanced scorecard can be utilized for optimal organizational performance. Hence before getting into a further discussion, a brief introduction of the organization has been presented in the next half of the project. Boston Scientific Corporation: A Brief Overview Boston Scientific Corporation manufactures and markets medical devices. The company was founded in the year 1979 and has its present base of operations in Natick, Massachusetts (Boston scientific, n.d.). Boston Scientific Corporation or BSC was founded by John Abele.  

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Evaluation Of The One Sony Strategy

Evaluation Of The One Sony Strategy The following report contains about the Sony Corporations new strategy implementation called One Sony which is a new structure for the top management of the company where the company is making changes to drive revitalisation and growth. The report further discuss about the extent to which the strategy fits the Sony Corporations current capabilities to face external challenges and achieve the objectives. In addition to that, the suitability and the feasibility of the strategic decisions arising from the implementation of this strategy are also discussed. In order to do the above the report is guided through three stages which is analysis of strategic position internally and externally which is the research content, strategic choices and decisions by applying relevant theories and implementation of the strategy. Finally considering all of the above a critical opinion or a perspective will be made with relevant justifications and in respect to the Sony Corporation. Analysis of strategic position In order to identify the external environment in which Sony operates a PEST analysis could be done which will be as follows; When the political aspects are looked in to it is evident that they are changing at all times. The government has the power as stated in Henry (2008) to impact the operations of Sony through changes in policies and regulations. On the other hand better sales could be achieved by Sony due to the reduction in liquidity crisis and recession. But by doing so the number of competitors Sony has will increase significantly. In addition to that, the government can create laws which will have an impact on policies in the global context. When economy is considered it is currently not is a good position where it has faced recession recently and has a negative economic growth. Due to this there can be significant changes in the exchange rates and interest rates. Sony should make sure that they are aware of any government restrictions on trading and exchange rates as Sony is an international company where these restrictions would affect Sony negatively. As for the social factors Sony is expected to perform well. That is because of the reputation they have obtained through their quality products and services as per William and Green (1997). Sony should make sure that they develop revolutionary devices at regular intervals to retain and hold on the customer and may be attract new customers. It is also important to understand the perspectives of the public where they can introduce products which match the expectations of their customers. Towards technological aspect Sony Corporation should put more attention as they work in that industry with high technological usage. The productivity level of the company depends on the level of technology used. Therefore Sony should make sure that they use upgraded technology to have high level of productivity and to be efficient. Use of technology is also important to Sony Corporation to research and develop new products which matches the expectations and choices of the customers. Next would be to identify the internal environmental factors which should be considered when developing a strategy for Sony according to Drejer (2002). Prahalad and Hamel core competencies model and Michael Porters value chain could be used to do the analysis as follows; Sony has created a reputation and a brand name which has a high recognition in the technological industry. But at present they are having a hard time which is why they are coming up with a new strategy call Sony One. The strategies implemented by Sony previously are outside in as well as inside out. Out of these one was to develop mini-series of their products in order to grow their core competencies where they require high level of technology, human resources such as engineers and marketers. In addition to that the customer needs should also be looked in to through market research for the success of a strategy. Sony had required all the resources which allowed them to be success in almost all the strategies they implemented. But the uniqueness of these resources or competencies as stated in Enders (2004) is questionable. Sony also had an aim of manufacturing customer oriented products which they believed will help the company to increase the competitive advantage and will also create more value adding activities. Sony also implemented a strategy of diversification which is to add value to the processes of the organisation. Also taking risks and learning from mistakes is one of the unique factors done by Sony which is also an advantage. After both the internal and external analysis is done the internal strengths and weaknesses as well as the external threats and opportunities need to be identified for the SWOT analysis to be completed. The strengths as recognised above are the fact that Sony is trying out unique strategies as per Hitt et al. (2010) such as miniature products as they are available to the required technology and engineering. Sony being diversified is also unique to the organisation which creates core competencies. In addition to that, taking risks when introducing new products and making mistakes, moreover learning from these mistakes without breaking down the operations is another major strength which is unique only to the Sony Corporation. As for the weaknesses it would be a fact that the resources such as technological staff, engineers and marketers are not being unique to Sony in the todays technological industry. Sony not being able to differentiate the level of skills required within the organisation is a weakness which would affect the company in the years to come. One reason would be the technology being outdate very quickly at present and the industry being very competitive. The opportunities that are arising from the industry would be corporate political activities with the government where Sony operates which will give the support of the government policies in favour of the operations that is being carried out. In addition to that, identification of new customer groups and new customer expectations through the customer oriented strategy as per Beloff et al. (2005) and delivering products which matches those choices would allow Sony to exploit opportunities arising from the external environment. Lastly the threats that are arising from the external environment could be identified. The fact that the industry in which Sony is operating is being innovative and fast moving is making the company to adapt to the situations and move forward with a lesser time. Companies like Apple and Samsung is creating a rivalry where technology is becoming outdated almost every day. Moreover, the rival companies are introducing new products to market with lesser lead time which increase the threat arising towards Sony. Strategic choices and decisions The development of strategic choices is a critical stage for Sony where they need identify their capabilities, resources and requirements as per Johns and Saks (2004). There are three main focus areas under this stage. Deciding how Sony could achieve competitive advantage Identifying possible directions through which Sony would enter a market and the types of products and market it should enter or leave Deciding in methods of growth with in the market Deciding on the basis of competitive advantage When deciding how Sony Corporation could compete in a market or create a basis for the customers to want to buy their products the following options are visible as stated in Daft et al. (2010). These are also known as Michael Porters generic strategies. Be a low cost provider of goods and services or in other words providing products at a budget price. This is not suitable for Sony as they require high research and development cost to come up with new products where selling at a lower price would be difficult. Being a high value adding market player or a differentiator is another option. According to this type of a choice Sony can build in a higher level of value in the products or devices they offer by the company. Following a focused strategy is another option. A choice made by Sony Corporation to provide a device targeting a smaller number of customers, such as coming up with a special edition of an existing product. Strategic Direction This is where the Sony Corporation decides how it would grow in to the future entering different markets and using its strengths. When deciding on strategic directions available for the organisation the Ansoff matrix can be used according to Ewy (2009). The matrix identifies growth possibilities for Sony based on the dimensions of markets and products. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGNf9VY9mGrDGujX589mm7Zn6utU6rhLWT4NV3avC-pgV43QaRKD2kdw4QJSTr7hLSJHwiFNy5GQkWBbxZ20PwgouSI4w8BYRo3PTmGZgah-wacLh3V2B-Csi7bIetyZMORuBvvJa9K4/s320/Ansoff+Matrix.jpg Figure 1.1: Ansoff Matrix [Source:http://www.marketing-equity.com/2011/09/few-examples-of-ansoff-matrix.html ] Market Penetration: This is where the company would grow internally into existing markets by aggressively promoting its existing devices and products with in them. Sony could promote their Sony Xperia with in the UK market. Product development: This is where the company would develop new products for the existing markets and generates more sales from them. Sony could develop new models of Sony Xperia to sell in the UK market. Market development: This is where the company would develop new markets for its existing products such as Sony Xperia being launched in China Diversification: This is where the company would enter a completely new market according to Freeman (2010) with a completely new product or a device. Sony entering in to the Laptop market where it provided Sony Vaio would be diversification. Strategic methods With the selected growth directions the Sony Corporation can use many different methods in order to grow and achieve their goals. Internal development: This is where Sony growing through its own resources where the case of Sony Vaio appeared according to Mahadevan (2009) Takeovers or acquisitions: The Sony Corporation might buy over another company and use its products and technologies for growth. Sony taking over Colombia pictures is a perfect example Strategic alliances: Sony Corporation would grow by linking and partnering with other organisations. Franchises also fall under this category. Sony forming an alliance with Olympus would be an example here Out of the choices that were generated the organisation should pick one or more options based on the SAF model which is the strategic decision making Suitability: Selected growth directions and methods should match with the Sony Corporations brand image and reputation Acceptable: Selected options should be approved by the shareholders and be in line with their thinking and expectations Feasibility: Strategic choices that were selected should be financially viable for the company. As the above stated methods the strategic options will be generated according to Vos (2004) and chosen in order to implement the most correct strategic option or options. Implementation Putting strategy in to action Before a strategy is being implemented Sony should understand the culture of the organisation, the management as well as the leadership styles. McKinsey 7S Framework 7S model Figure 1.2: Mckinsey 7S model [Source: http://b4tea.com/information/mckinsey-7s-framework-7s-model/] The 7S model developed by the Mckinsey consulting group identifies seven different elements that lie at the heart of a culture of the organisation. Hard Factors These refers to non-human type of elements as stated in Egan (2007) which has an impact on culture Strategy: The direction followed by Sony in order to achieve the goals and targets of the business as explained above Structure: The organisations structure or how the lines on authority are arranged with in the company, how decisions are made and whether the communication channels between top and bottom levels are long or short will affect the culture Systems: The level of control that exists within the company such as the budgeting and management accounting controls as well as controls on processes will have an impact on the culture of Sony Soft Factors These are more of human related factors that affect the culture of Sony Skills: The talent and abilities of people and whether all staff members have equal levels of skill as per Cole (2001) or a few members have a high level of skill on whom the others will depend decides on the nature of the culture Staff: The nature of the attitude of staff members as well as their individual cultures will have an impact in the overall organisation Style: The style of management by the superiors will have a direct impact on the culture of the organisation. Leadership style Sonys co-founder Akio Morita was following was based upon the values, imaginations and beliefs of his which is now being changed by the new strategy One Sony Share Values: Organisations will have a common set of values and beliefs which are followed by all the employees and is given top priority when Sony does it operations After considering the above factors and understanding them the implementation of the strategy will be successful. In addition to that, understanding of the leadership style with in Sony is also important. For that, the Likert four systems of management which identifies four leadership styles as stated in Harrison and John (2009) ranging from the extremes of being job centred and employee centred can be used. figure Figure 1.3: Likert four systems of management [Source: https://www.ncjrs.gov/policing/corr177.htm] Exploitative Authoritative: This is where as stated in Waters (2006) the leaders are highly exploiting the lower individuals and there is a very high distance between higher level and lower level individuals Benevolent or Somewhat Authoritative: There would be still a high distance between the higher level and the lower level management, but the leaders will be believe in that they are acting in the interest of the rest of the individuals with in the Sony Corporation Consultative: This is a more employee centred approach where by the leader would be listening to others but will not always follow their comment or ideas Participative: This is where the leader will get the others involved as well and the final decision that is made is one that everyone agrees with and no single handily made by the leader. This is the most extreme employee centred leadership approach according to Daft and Marcic (2010) Once strategies have been planned and choices made also understanding the culture and leadership styles it needs to be implemented through a series of programs. Tactical programs: Programs run at a middle management level such as training programs Operational programs: This refers to the daily activities happening with in an organisation with a focus of realising the company strategy The Sony Corporation should now select one out of the two above to implement the strategy of One Sony by considering the culture of the organisation and the management styles. Review and control is also required as stated in Grunig and Gaggl (2011) where the organisation would check if the strategic path implemented is correct one by looking into following aspects; Is the strategy allowing the achievement of the objectives stated initially Since the consumer electronics environment keeps changing dynamically and strategy implementation is based on an environmental scan done earlier it should be checked if current strategies match the environment Conclusion The above report contains about the Sony Corporations new strategy implementation called One Sony which is a new structure for the top management of the company where the company is making changes to drive revitalisation and growth. The report further contains about the extent to which the strategy fits the Sony Corporations current capabilities to face external challenges and achieve the objectives through PEST, core competencies and SWOT analysis. In addition to that, the suitability and the feasibility of the strategic decisions arising from the implementation of this strategy are also included with reference to the SAF model. The report is guided through three stages which is analysis of strategic position internally and externally which is the research content, strategic choices and decisions by applying relevant theories and implementation of the strategy where theoretical as well as practical aspects has been applied. Finally considering all of the above it is clear that the strategy implementation of One Sony is dependent on the above stated factors and because of that the implementation is successful.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Importance of Social Status in Emma and Clueless :: Austen Emma Essays

Importance of Social Status in Emma and Clueless Emma Woodhouse of the Jane Austen novel Emma, is part of the rich, upscale society of a well off village in nineteenth century England, while Cher Horowitz the main character of the movie version Clueless, lives in the upscale Beverly Hills of California. The Woodhouse family is very highly looked upon in Highbury, and Cher and her father are also viewed as the cultural elite. The abuse of power and wealth, arrogance, and a lack of acceptance all prove that the class status of these families plays a significant role in the shaping of both the novel and the video. Emma and Cher both abuse the power of wealth and become spoiled, socially dominating, and overly confident with themselves. However, they both feel very comfortable in this lifestyle because of their possessions and social status. Jane Austen secures Emma in the very first paragraph of her novel. She states, "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to vex her" (Austen 1). Cher has everything a teenager could possibly want: her own jeep, an endless wardrobe, and amounts of money that seems to be collected from a money tree outside the backdoor. Emma's arrogance shines through when she brags that she is exceptionally skillful at matching couples. She believes that she is in control of fate and must play matchmaker in order for couples to discover their true love. Austen confirms, "The real evils indeed of Emma's situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself" (Austen 1). Although Emma is so spoiled and overbearing, she truly doesn't realize this fact. Likewise, an example of Cher's pompousness can be seen in the scene where she and Dionne are explaining to Tai how to become more popular. Cher states that she has already started to elevate her social status "due to the fact that you hang out with Dionne and I" (Clueless). Cher may be sympathetic to Tai, but she does so with conceitedness because she knows she is from a higher social class.